Pakistan Lifts Kite-Flying Ban

You really have to be "in the know" to appreciate this story! Not only
does the string kill people but people firing their AK-47s at kites kill
people as well! Lahore is a Gem of a city as well! Remember, you get
Karachi from a Lahore, so be sure to wrap it before you ride it!
NUTZ

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) -- Authorities on Thursday lifted a ban on
kite-flying in a Pakistan province after the sport was forbidden last
year following a series of deaths caused by reinforced kite strings, an
official said.
The ban was lifted about a month ahead of Basant, an annual festival
that heralds spring and is marked by flying colorful kites in the
eastern province of Punjab and its capital, Lahore.

This year's festival will be celebrated on Feb. 25, said Salman Ghani,
chairman of Punjab's planning and development department.

During Basant last year, seven people were fatally slashed by glass-
coated or metal-reinforced kite strings, prompting authorities to ban
kite-flying. They arrested hundreds who defied the new regulation.

Among last year's fatalities was a 4-year-old boy whose throat was slit
by a string coated with glass as he rode on a motorcycle with his
father.

Ghani said that glass-coated or metal strings will be banned, and that
authorities will issue licenses for selling kites and strings during
this year's festival.

The ban will be re-imposed after the festival's final day celebrations,
he said.

Kites larger than 2 feet by 2 feet will not be allowed to prevent the
use of heavy strings, Ghani said.

Offenders will face up to four years in jail, or a fine of 100,000
rupees ($1,800), he said.